Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-02-26
The STORY OF A Spy.

Int SlURI Uf A SPI,
Our army in the Shenandoah Valley was
hampered by the trouble that always at
tends campaigning in a hostile country.
Probably three -fourths of the population
were fri ndly to the Confederacy; many of
those who were friendly to the Union did
not dare to make their friendship known.
Thousands of soldiers in Early army had
their homes and their families in the val
ley. AT oil seasons, when there was an ac-
tive campaign in progress, and when there
was lull in military operations, some of
these men would visit their homes, often
taking the most daring risks in doing so.
1t was SO easy to conceal them when sus-
picion was aroused and search made by our
forces, that detection and capture we're
rare. Three or four instances l recall
when spies were discovered and summarily
executed, but each of these instances was
in the heat of the campaign, when the
army was on the march, and it was felt by
those in authority that if the offender was
not then and there hung he never would
be. In fact the Justice of the drum head
court martial in the army was generally
sounded, and we'll administered. None but
the most fragrant cases were punished in
this way; the innocent were not likely even
to be brought before this stern tribunal.
When it is added that in General Early's
army there were some other thousands of
soldiers, young men who had left their
sweethearts in the valley, and who were
literally dying to visit them, and about
ready to go through fire and wafer for that
purpose, it will be seen that, if Early did
not have the most correct information
from all these sources of the numbers and
movements of our army, then he did not
avail himself of the means that were ready
TO his hand.
That he always did have pretty accurate
information ON these subjects, the plain
history of the campaign will show.
The subject is an interesting one; and
before leaving it to relate the story that
began to tell, which naturally grows out Of
it, of the adventures and fate of Confed-
crate spy, it should be said that the Union
people in the valley, if in great minority,
were both eager and willing to render any
service to the cause that was consistent
with their safety; and that upon many oc-
cas!ons General Sheridan received the
most valuable Information from them,
which he publicly acknowledged after the
war. The case OF Rebecca Wright, at Win
chester, is the most conspicuous example e
this, and deserves to be kept prope:nently
before the people. To her is 70 De directly
credited the great service II sending at
| great risk to Gene. sheridan the infor-
nation upon wb;5n he fought the victo-
rious battle Il Winchester. Having been
myself u that fight, and being sincerely
anxior:s to know if her share in the bust
nas7 was as great and as creditable as was
4ported, not long since addressed let
ter to her on the subject. The reply came
from Washington, informing me that the
story was substantially true. The lady has
for some time been Mrs. Rebecca Bonsall
and fills place in the Treasury Depart
ment, which General Sheridan procured
for her, besides presenting her with hand
some gold watch. In September, 1864,
she was living at Winchester, which was
then within the enemy's lines. Her char
acter as an Union woman had been re-
ported to Sheridan by his spies, and he
succeeded in getting message to her, ask
! ing her to ascertain and send him word
what the strength of Early's army was, in
each arm. For an attractive young lady
who was visited by acquaintances among
the Confederate officers, this was not O
hard thing TO do-at least so far as secur-
ing the information was concerned; and
the gallant officer in gray and gold lace
who one afternoon called upon Miss
Wright and innocently answered her ques-
ton, by telling her the whole number of
~rlys infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and
added, in the fullness of his confidence,
that two divisions would march to Bunker
Hill, several miles north, the next day
that gentleman had not the faint
est suspicion that Phil Sheridan
would be in possession of this
precious information the same night! But
it was one thing TO get the information, and
another to send it through the we'll pickeed
lines of the Confederate army to Sheridan,
at BerryvIlle, twelve miles away. How
could it be done2 There was lust one way
that seemed practicable, and Miss Wright
adopted it. The information was written
by her own hand on thin paper, with all
necessary detail, wadded up i'll little ball,
nclosed in silver leaf, and placed in the
cheek of faithful negro. Some plausible
story was invented, to account for the wish
of the latter to go beyond the lines; strict
examination failed to disclose anything sus-
! picious, and he appeared so perfectly stupid
that he was allowed to pass. He was at
Sheridan's headquarters in four hours, and
that General explicitly tells us that the in
formation he received in this curious way
was that which justified him in taking the
! aggressive and bringing on the battle which
resulted so gioriously for the Union cause.
But all this is merely incidental to tn
subject. l began to relate the interesting
story of Confederate spy, and we will re.
turn tot.
In that cold and dreary Virginia winter OF
lS64-5, our troops in the Shenandoah VAL
ley were quartered in and about Winches-
ter. Those who were outside of that place
constructed log huts with fire. places, and
Baltimore being less than one hundred
miles off, they were able to procure such ar.
ticles as made them quite comfortable
There was little duty to be done in this sit
uation, and, therefore, writing letters, play
ing cards, reading the papers, and predict
ing how much longer the war would last
became the stock methods of employing TIA,
time. Burroughs and leaves for thirty day.
were literally granted, and many went HON,
for brief visit, to air their military eXpe
rience to wandering ears, and return with
new stock of hope and patience with which
TO see it out"
An incident that somewhat concerns the
story have now to tell was the review by
Sheridan of ten thousand cavalry in the
last of that February. 1t took place on q
level plain near Winchester, and was at
tended by about every officer and man who
was not on duty, as well as half the popu-
lation of the little city. 1t was magnii-
cent spectacle, exceeded only in splendoi
by the great review of the armies which
closed the war in the following May al
Washington. The line of horsemen was
so long that it was doubled back into col
umns on each flank, and the continued and
prolonged burst of music from the splen-